When the German chancellor extended her hand to the interior minister, Horst Seehofer, he refused to shake it and waved her away, as coronavirus cases reached 150 in Germany.
Pre-coronavirus, his gesture would have been the epitome of bad manners. But, as the number of confirmed cases rises in Germany, a smiling Merkel immediately held up her hands and said: ‘That was the right thing to do.’
In This Story: Germany
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic led by a chancellor. With over 83 million inhabitants of its 16 constituent states, it is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, as well as the most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Berlin, and its financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.